The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-03-30
FLIRTATIONS.

AZ ASA ASAACSSSA AAAA%to'.
knew that particular smile. had seen
it before. 1t drew up the left corner of
the mouth little. 1t brought out GER
tain expression in her eyes which was abb
solutely not to be mistaken.
"Oh. very well, 1 observed. "But do
you think him worth while? He struck
me as rather insignificant.
MY dearest, every man isworth while
when there's no better. But he is not
so very i'll looking. Anyway, beauty
counts for nothing in a man."
mo. It's just as well, SO fnr as Mr.
Whitney is concerned, that it does not. "
Cora had completed the brushing pro-
cess, had plated the hair into a chubby
braid tied UP at the end with blue rib
bon. and now turned herself about ncdi-
tatiyely to look ut me. Presently she re-
marked:
..You are strange girl. Ellen
s.Why?'' ventured TO ask.
"Oh, YOU miss things" She gave her
front hair a dab with the brush. '.Im-
pressions sensations.
..Flirtations, do you mean?" She gave n
siirug.
.Well, if you choose to put it in that
way-you've no idea how stimulating it
is. 1t brings out ones best resources. 1t
actually improves ones looks. know it
improves mine. never look SO well as
when I'm having . Irritation" She re-
garded herself placidly three quarter face
in the Ketclimn looking glass.
Even with as unexlIilarating speci-
as Mr.. Whitney,
'.Yes. If he is unexhilarating. Some
time; those plain looking, quiet, insig-
nificant men have n strange power of fas-
os,, In laf1n
Il wouldn't dream of such thing.
am lost in admiration at your occult
knowledge declared.
You could have it. too. if you would
take an interest i'll the subject-practice,
you know"
..Oh. no, haven't the necessary quail
fications. 1 am not II and-aliem!-
lovely. am 90 and usually considered
plain
''Oh, looks have not really very much
to do with the matter, Cora was good
enough to say. Neither has age. It's
all in knowing how to manage. Besides.
I'm not 21. I'm nearly 81. But there's s
no Use telling such things. You could
pass for p if you chosc-at least, with
the manner of weighing the matter care
fully, Il think you could.
..Oh. thank you" ] yawned. Sup
pose we put out the light now?"
why. you're not sleepy, are you?"
demanded Miss Weatherley in surprise. !.
1T does seem strange. We've been
discussing such engrossing subjects"
replied.
AS 1 was falling asleep heard n
mufiled laugh. An astounding thought
had struck my companion.
Goodness! Ellen, what do you sup
6 I - Al,
stupid hole six weeks without any amuse-
ment at ALP she demanded.
What do you expect to do2 You did
not know there was any Mr.. Whitney,
COOL looking or i'll looking, exhilarating
or unexhilarating. when you came"
My dear, they are building new
road near the Keteham homestead. are
they not? And when there are new
roads building there are usually engineers
to build them. There was sure to be
somebody
"oh," I exclaimed; and then there
was silence.
1t was understood that Cora weatherley
had been sent to a quiet place in order to
| recruit from the effects of too much
social dissipation. She had, as it is ex-
pressed. run down. She herself, in
speaking of her debilitated condition, as
sured people that she had had complete
nervous prostration. Those who could
have seen her week after her arrival at
tue Ketcham farm. playing tennis in the
June sun all tho morning, driving down
in the neighlnrhood of the new road
every afternoon and sitting out in the
dampness every evening till old man
Ketcllam came humping around from
the back regions, ssshutting up as he
went, might have been inclined either to
doubt this assertion or attribute it to the
air and milk and other saluhrious proper
ties of the Ketclam acres curative possi-
bilitieS of a miraculous order.
Whenever looketlup from my sketch
| ing Cora was either just coming in from
somewhere or just going out. The spot
of color her red tennis hat made against
the environing greenncss got to be sort
of perambulating objective point in the
landscape. And it was usually not alone.
On most occasions it was accompanied
either by white straw hat or some kind
of soft cap with visor. both of which
pieces of headgear covered the capital
extremity of n slight. fair haired man OF
medium height. This. then would
say, returning to my water colors, lis
the flirtation. Well, if they both en-
joyed it (and to see them laughing and
talking and glancing at each other one
could not doubt that the degree of pleas
urable stimulation they derived from the
exercise was high. and if Mr.. Whitney
could spare that plucl good time from
his work to devote tt' such occupation. It
was probably all right. and assuredly no
concern of mine.
One day as sat at my customary
window TIVE had been Mrs. KetcllaIn' s
'.city boartlers'' for some three weeks
Cora came i'll, and tossing he. racket
against the first support she fond for
it. drew chair near my table and sat
down.
The silence that ensued caused me to
look up III surprise. Miss NNeatherley
was staring out at the trees.
eWell.' observed. What has hap
pened2 What is the mattcr?''
She promised the specific answer by
saying that she did not feel well.
You probably imbibed a little star
light last night. When cid Father
Ketcham close up and send 3Ir. Whitney
lso,paS''